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Topic Review (Newest First)

04-29-2005 12:09 AM

cousinkenni

Welcome to the planted tank Timber!

If that's your real name

See you next friday.

That should go for all of you guys that are posting here. HAS is the shiznit-o-bam!!!

Zach,

If you are still looking for a place definately try Makiki, that is where I used to live. Try walking around Makiki street/Wilder ave area, there are a bunch of apartment builings that will only advertise on their building. You will see a little sign that says For Rent. Last time I rode by that way 1645 Makiki had a sign up with a number to call.

Ken

04-23-2005 02:36 AM

spleen93

Welcome timber!

Spleen

04-22-2005 12:08 PM

timber

Wow, lots of islanders here! My first post btw. Hfishy, I know you! I'm a PetsPlus Alum! I know I've had some long discussions with you while I worked there. Haven't seen you at HAS for a while, you should come back! If you saw the auction table, you'd think it was a plant club. There is a lot of accomplished growers now. This goes for everyone who live in Hawaii or plans to visit. We meet the 1st friday of the month at Kuhio Elem.

Pets Plus is definitely the best place for plants, BUT to get in on the good stuff, you really need to introduce yourself to Stan (The Plant Man) Get to know him and tell him what you want. Give him your number and when it comes in, he'll call you. When he gets plants in, its pretty funny because all these guys come to the store and take their pick. In the end, there is little left for the average customer. I have gotten some amzingly rare plants from him in the past. He had narrow leaf Java Fern a couple years before it was introduced at AGA, He's also been selling Downoi for the last several months! What LFS in America sells Downoi?

And I know what you guys mean about Petland. The irony here is that they have an exclusive arrangement with Florida Aquatic Nurseries and they bring in only a dozen species... pretty lame.

As for importing plants, it is actually very easy. The restrictions are pretty much the same as they would be for any other state. (CA and many southern states actually have stricter laws) The import permit is for animals only. You don't need a permit for aquatic plants as far as I know, you just need it inspected upon its arrival. MAKE SURE all plants are bare rooted or cuttings. If there is any soil, dirt, sand, gravel attached to the roots, they will take it away and destroy it. this goes for grodan and rockwool too.

04-22-2005 08:19 AM

spleen93

No, they never found out who took them but they were returned anonymously - a security guard found them in a bag in the aquarium's auditorium. Thank goodness - 'cause you know it had to have been a hobbyist that took them ... nobody else could have taken them and kept them that long without them dying. Don't need the hobby getting a bad name ...

Spleen

04-22-2005 01:35 AM

Zach987

You mentioned giant clams, did they every find out who stole the clams from the honolulu aquarium? I saw a article on it in the honolulu adv. sad people

As for housing, I am going to miss my 1200 sqft house for 550 but anyway we made arrangements to stay in the east-west center till housing is avaliable.

The aquarium society, is on my list of things to do as soon as I get there. I happened accross their website a few weeks ago, about the same time I started this thread, they look promising. Although it might be a few months, I will have to get resupplied there, can join a club without bringing something to the table.

04-21-2005 03:47 AM

spleen93

The Dept of Agriculture site does list approved and restricted animals - but that wasn't my point. There's no list of approved plants, only prohibited ones ... so the implication is, if they're not prohibited, you can probably bring them in as long as there's no problem with bringing in agricultural pests.

On that note, it's interesting to me that certain Acroporas and Tridacna giant clams are on the restricted list - meaning if you apply for a permit, you could potentially bring them in for personal usage. Of course, you might have to write up a multi-page application explaining your husbandry techniques to prevent wild release but it might be worth it.

HFishy - I agree with your point about the Petland Kahala though - I LOVE their display tank but sorely wish that they would bring in some of the plants and animals displayed in that tank. Interestingly enough, the Petland in Ala Moana does tend to get a wider variety of plants if you check regularly (alternanthea, bacopa, E. tenellus, etc). I haven't yet seen much at Pets Plus in terms of plants that I haven't seen elsewhere but they were my source of false SAEs so I can't complain much - I do check in with them fairly regularly as well. An interesting place to visit too on the leeward side of the island is Pets and Plants in the Waimalu Shopping Center - I think I saw some actual cherry shrimp in there a year ago when I hadn't gotten the algae shrimp bug yet. On occasion, they'll get a decent plant selection in as well (I think I need to supplement my Ludwigia - it's starting to look at little stemmy)

I haven't had the time to check out HAS. Sort of interested but it's also kind of far for me.

Spleen

04-21-2005 12:46 AM

Honolulufishy

Zach -- welcome to the Hawaii real estate/rental market! The real estate sales boom here has made the apartment rental market similarly rocket upwards. The one bedroom apartment near Ala Moana Center/Convention Center that I lived in when I used to rent, in 2001, was $800/month, and now rents at $1400. One of the prices of paradise...

Back to the fish topic, just FYI, the State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture site at http://www.hawaiiag.org/hdoa/pi_pq_lists.htm DOES list approved fish and animals, and the list is fairly extensive (see "List of Conditional Approved Animals"). That said, in order to import, you have to submit an application to bring fish into the state -- I think it's $15 for a one-time permit, and $40 for a multi-use annual permit. I had some beautiful Apisto. panduros and Laetacara dorsigera shipped in from Dave Soares in Oregon (via Aquabid).

Regarding plants, I think that the selection at Pets Plus is just as good, if not better than Petland Kahala/Ala Moana. While the Petlands have large quantities, they aren't necessarily a wide variety -- lots of crypts, swords. Pets Plus is a smaller store, but usually has a nice variety of different kinds of plants, including the aforementioned crypts and swords, as well as anubias, java fern and moss, crinium, aponogetons, etc. Talk to the manager, Stan (whom I refer to as "Stan, Stan, Aquarium Plant Man"), who grows quite a bit of aquarium plants at home. At various places, if you look regularly/religously, you can find glosso, riccia, and other plants (hopefully no salvinia ).

I don't want to sound down on Petland, because I end up finding stuff at so many different Honolulu stores (Pets Plus, Petland, Modern Pet, Pets Discount (!), Pets Unlimited, Coral Fish Hawaii). However, I find the fish/plant knowledge of the vast majority of Petland staff to be severely lacking. Both Ala Moana and Kahala Petlands of course, have some knowledgeable people, but they're the exception. While I'm griping, it bothers me that Petland Kahala sets up that beautiful plant tank, yet actually sells very, very little of the plants/fish at the store (i.e., no riccia, no zebra plecos, etc.). It's like:

-- "Look what a great planted tank you can build!"
-- "Great, can I get some of that____________ (riccia, zebras, whatever)?"
-- "Uh, no, we don't sell that here."

I'm sorry, but that just plain sucks.

Ben -- I haven't been to Naturally Pets, but upon my drive-by viewing, I thought it was just pet food. Hopefully I'm wrong, it'd be great to check out a new store.

Glad to see other Hawaii aquarium hobbyists here -- any of you guys with Honolulu Aquarium Society?

04-20-2005 05:26 PM

Zach987

Thats what I thought, I looked at a apartment last night for 1100 and got pics this morning of it, it was a hole in the wall, under the stairs dump. It wouldn't of been rentable around here much less for that much.

04-20-2005 07:42 AM

spleen93

Sorry, no. Housing is particularly bad around Manoa - expensive too. You might want to look outside of Manoa for possibilities - the Makiki area, St Louis Heights area, even the Kaimuki area might be alternatives (you'll need a bike, moped, or car to get to campus or prepare to walk a bit)

Spleen

04-19-2005 09:56 PM

Zach987

totally off subject

But does anyone know of a decent place around UH manoa, I just found out that faculty housing has a 6 month waiting list.

Thanks for anything
Zach

04-08-2005 10:08 AM

spleen93

Let us know how it is!

Spleen

04-07-2005 09:31 AM

candybandits

Heading towards Blaisdel from Pets Plus it's on your right hand side. I think it's called Naturally Pets. Drove by it and it looked to be mostly dog stuff. Might give it a try tomorrow.

Ben

04-07-2005 06:25 AM

spleen93

Ben - which fish store are you referring to?

Spleen

04-07-2005 06:07 AM

Zach987

Alright so this works, I can bring glosso and make a killing , well as much as I hate to do it I am not going to ship my tanks there it would cost a fortune, UH isn't going to be paying for the move. I have donated them to a local communnity center and my big tank is going to be in long term storage at my parents house. Thanks for all the advise, I think this will be enough of a start. I am very interested in the Honolulu Aquarium Society, so thanks for the heads up about them.

Thanks for all the help

04-07-2005 04:02 AM

candybandits

The selection of plants seems to be the same at all the fish stores. But Petland Kahala seems to always have a better selection. You can always mail order for plants if you can't find them locally.

Honolulufishy - Do you know if the pet store down the street from Pets Plus has fish or plants.

Ben

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